Eleven horses will be vying for the coveted Woodlawn Vase on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Early odds have already been posted for the 145th Preakness Stakes, though betting does not officially open until Friday.
2020 Preakness Stakes contenders
The Preakness generally occurs in May as the second race in the annual Triple Crown competition, followed by the Belmont Stakes. With the entire horse racing schedule rearranged because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Preakness has now become the final leg of the 2020 Triple Crown schedule.
The coveted Triple Crown title is no longer on the line since Tiz the Law did not win the 2020 Kentucky Derby. In order to win a Triple Crown, a horse must win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in a single year.
Tiz the Law, who won the Belmont Stakes, will not be competing in the Preakness Stakes. Instead, the horse and his trainer have their sights set on the Breeders’ Cup in November.
This opens the podium up to a number of talented horses.
Since the winner of the Preakness will automatically advance to the Breeders’ Cup, stakes are high.
Authentic ranks as the favorite before the race. The American Thoroughbred will be vying for his third-straight Grade 1 win this week.
Authentic won the Kentucky Derby back in September as well as the Haskell Invitational Stakes in July. He is sitting at 9-5 in the most current 2020 Preakness odds.
Authentic has plenty of competition to contend with, however. Other top horses with single-digit odds are Art Collector (5-2), Swiss Skydiver (6-1) and Thousand Words (6-1).
| Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excession | Sheldon Russell | 30-1 |
| 2 | Mr. Big News | Gabriel Saez | 12-1 |
| 3 | Art Collector | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 5-2 |
| 4 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Albarado | 6-1 |
| 5 | Thousand Words | Florent Geroux | 6-1 |
| 6 | Jesus' Team | Jevian Toledo | 30-1 |
| 7 | NY Traffic | Horacio Karamanos | 15-1 |
| 8 | Max Player | Paco Lopez | 15-1 |
| 9 | Authentic | John Velazquez | 9-5 |
| 10 | Pneumatic | Joe Bravo | 20-1 |
| 11 | Liveyourbeastlife | Trevor Mccarthy | 30-1 |
The young filly Swiss Skydiver placed second to Art Collector during July’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, then in August, she won the Alabama Stakes. Subsequently, she finished second at Kentucky Oaks in early September.
Robby Albarado will serve as Swiss Skydiver’s new jockey for this race. Albarado’s last Preakness win came in 2007 with Curlin.
Art Collector, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, did not compete in the Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury. We will have to wait and see how his recent foot issue fares for him at this race.
If you are looking for some potential value bets, Excession, Jesus’ Team and Liveyourbeastlife are strong choices.
Odds calculations and a two-day betting window
Odds for the 2020 Preakness Stakes are calculated using the results of the year’s previous major sophomore horse. Oddsmakers also look at the horse’s overall reputation.
They favor horses that have won a major Grade 1 race recently.
A horse’s trainer also significantly plays into race odds. For instance, horses trained by the legendary Bob Baffert are especially regarded. Baffert has a record-tying six Kentucky Derby wins.
There is only a small window open for betting on the Preakness Stakes. Early odds are already available for the race. However, betting is only open across a two-day period during the weekend. Wagering officially opens on Friday when the program begins.
Betting on the Preakness Stakes in Tennessee
Pari-mutuel wagering is available in Tennessee. However, bets must be placed online since there are no in-person racetracks or casinos in the state.
This makes horse racing an ideal betting option for people within the Volunteer State’s borders. Residents looking to bet on the Preakness can do so using advanced deposit wagering (ADW).
Currently, the only fully licensed and regulated horse betting site available to Tennessee is TwinSpires. The brand offers both a website and a mobile-friendly app.
Bettors can tune in Saturday to watch the race in live time and see how their wagers fared. NBC will air full coverage of the race Saturday beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.
